PART 
Hughes: Petroleum in Assam. 
5 1 
Analysis of petroleum .—The sample of petroleum operated upon was black, perfectly 
liquid, and of rather strong odour. Specific gravity ’971. Water T000. 
One thousand parts were submitted to distillation, first by the heat of a water-bath, bat 
that being insufficient, it was then heated by direct fire. It began to boil at 400° F.— 
ri. 
20 
parts bcloW 
500° F. 
2 
96’5 
between 
500°—525° 
ofsp.gr. ... -873 
3. 
126-5 
n 
525°—550° 
„ ... '882 
'd 
<u 
4. 
1000 
a 
560°—675° 
„ ... -892 
!- 
o 
5. 
133-5 
„ 
575°—600° 
„ ... -900 
e. 
166-5 
above 
600° 
„ ... -918 
7. 
133-5 
... -936 
8. 
166-5 
« 
turned solid on cooling. 
. 
943-0 
There was a small residue of coke. 
The first six portions would do for lamp oil, although of rather higher speeifie gravity 
than that obtained from American petroleum. 
Seven and 8 contain solid paraffin, which can be separated, and the liquid-oil used for 
lubricating; or, after the first six portions have been distilled off, the whole of the residue 
in the retort can be used as lubricating-oil. 
For the purpose of comparison, I give the result of an experiment upon Pennsyl¬ 
vanian petroleum. 
Sample .—Greenish black, rather thin oil. Sp. Gr. 882. One thousand parts yielded 
on distillation- 
16*5 parts at 212° F, 
85*6 
» 
284°-302° 
of sp. gr. 
•?33 
95-5 
tt 
302°-320° 
„ 
•752 
125'0 
a 
320°-338° 
„ 
•766 
56*0 
n 
338°-356° 
„ 
•776 
52-5 
» 
356°-392° 
,, 
•800 
66-0 
a 
392°-428° 
•848 
39*5 
526-5 
428°-518° 
•854 
all the residue would be for lubricating-oil. 
Rangoon-oil .—According to Warren de la Rue’s researches yields per thousand parts— 
110 parts of oil below 
100 „ between 
200 „ „ 
310 „ above 
210 
212° F. 
230°-293° 
293°-600° 
600° 
600° 
which solidifies on cooling, 
dark oil at the greatest beat. 
The paraffin contained in portions 7 and 8 of the Assam petroleum might be manufac¬ 
tured into candles. As compared with a few other substances, the following table shows the 
number of grains required to give equal quantities of light:— 
Paraffin ... ... ... ... ... ••• 98 grains. 
Spermaceti ... ... ••• ••• ••• 120 „ 
Wax (bee’s wax) ... ... ••• 198 „ 
Stearic acid ... ... ••• ••• ••• m >« 
Composite candle (made of stearine and stearic acid) ... ... 155 „ 
The discovery within the last few years of enormous quantities of petroleum in Canada 
and the United States, has influenced considerably the manufacture of coal-oils in Great 
